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A total of 462 patients with lupus erythematosus (SLE) completed the questionnaires. The study found that increased ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 in the respondent's diet was associated with more SLE disease activity, while greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids was significantly tied to better sleep and decreases in depressive symptoms as well as the presence of comorbid fibromylgia.

The authors of the study acknowledged how Western diets are often much higher in omega-6, an inflammatory fatty acid. “Eating more foods that are high in omega-3 and avoiding a lot of foods that are high in omega-6 could be a low-toxicity intervention that is easily available for SLE patients to help address these symptoms,” said Prae Charoenwoodhipong, MS, co-author of the study.

The full research was presented at the ACR/ARHP annual meeting being held in San Diego.